hi I'm new here and I have a question for you guys

[Crevecoeurdude]

A couple mounths ago I got a small flock of four chickens to add to my flock the flock I received contained two road island reds and two golden commits there all healthy but my comments don't have any feathers around there tails it's completely balled and they haven't grown back do you guys have any suggestions?

 

[drumstick diva]

You mean these are grown birds not chicks. Hmmm? Have you checked them for lice/mites?
Pasty butt? You say the feathers haven't grown back. Grown back from what? Did a dog tear out their feathers? Did they have tail feathers when you first got them.

I'm stumped for now. But more responders are on the way. I'm sure someone knows what & why?

 

[1muttsfan]

Hi and welcome to BYC from northern Michigan

Once birds loose feathers they are not replaced until their next molt. When your hens molt they should grow in new tail feathers.

 

[Crevecoeurdude]

These are grown birds ive checked and they don't have any lice nor mites nor pasty butts when I got the birds they didn't have any feathers on there saddle and that was around November and the feathers haven't grown back it dosnt look like it's effecting the birds but it's just not normal

 

[Kelsie2290]

Hello and Welcome To BYC! It sounds like they were either feather plucked by other hens, or had pretty bad rooster damage... like 1muttsfan said, they probably won't regrow new feathers until they go through a molt, which will probably be this fall... you might want to watch them for awhile to be sure the RIR aren't plucking feathers off of the Comets.

 

[gander007]

 

[TwoCrows]

Welcome to BYC!'

If these feathers are broken, no they will have to molt out at the next fall molt. But if they are completely plucked out, they should re grow back now. If they are not re growing, then other birds are plucking them out. I would spray these areas with some blu-kote to hide the bare skin in hopes the others won't pick out any newly growing feathers. Newly growing feathers contain a lot of nutrients and chickens will eat them for protein and other nutrients.

Good luck with your flock and welcome to BYC!